Steering mechanism for automobiles



-|v|.1. B. BARBARQU. STEERING MECHANISNI FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR I0, 1920.

Patented Apr@ 25, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVEN TOR fl/S Afro/Nei MAR/us JEAN APr/.srf MKB/MOL( M. l. B. BARBAROU.

STEERING MECHANISM Foa AUTOMOBILES.

AP-PUCATION FlLED MAR.10| 1920.

Patented Apr. 25, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M. J. B. BARBAROU.

STEERiNG MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLxcATIoN FILED MAR. lo, 1920.

l1,413,650. Patnted Apr. 25, 1922.

l s sums-SHEET a.

/NveNro MARlus JEAN APTIST'E MRnRoy ls ATTORNEY mires stares smearseries.-

" y MABIUS JEAN BAPTIs-T BARBARQ. or rRIs`,'FRANoE.`

vs'lvEERIlver MECHANISM For AUci'oMoBrLrisl l To aZZ t may concern Beitknown that I, MARIUs JEAN BAP- TISTE BArBARoU, a citizen of theRepublic of France, residing at 28 Place St. Ferdinand, Paris, in theRepublic of France, have in-l vented new vand Luseful Improvements in:Steering Mechanisms forl Automobiles, of

vwhich the-followingis'a specification.

This invention'relatesto steering mechanisms for automobiles of thekind'in which the steering shaft carries at its lower end a Screw inengagement with la nut,V thei axial movement of whichv is transmittedtofthe vheel operating gear by meansofa pivoted ever. I In' accordancewith one feature of this invention, the Vsaid pivoted lever has itsup`per end directly hinged tothe nut and the steering shaft isgmounted insuch a manner .that it may Vswing freely round a point located adjacentthe steering wheel whereby the lower endthereofis adapted to followtheangular motion of the'swinginglever.

{Other features of this `invention reside in constructional ldetails ofthe steering meehanism in order to obtain a simple and-,strongconstruction, facilitate jthe mountingpand dismountingy and secure agreater smoothness In theV annexedf drawing-is," showinglby way Vofexamples, -two forms of embodimentof this invention -f l VFig. 1 is alongitudinal aXial section 'show- Aing one-form of steering mechanism,rthe middle portionbeingbroken away..l

as seen in the directionv of the arrows.

mechanism is supported at the bottom by a.

casing a closed by a lid Z) and containing the swinging lever c integralwith a rock shaft 0 1 which is supported in a bearing 7c integral withthe casing a. The end of shaft 01 on the opposite side with respect tothe lever c carries an arm e which is connected with the connecting rodof the steering gear, The

'lever-c provided with a stud-,10.2

a lug Z provided at the lower end of'a nutd .mounted upon -a screw 0carried bythe fiuted lower end n of the steering shaft m, the, axial`motion of said screw being prevented rby a shoulder p on said shaftonone'side anda ber `g .riveted tothe kchassis. is cut out` tof reA ceivethe upper member Zzfof a clampV engag ing .the tubular `orbearing part.loof the ing a, saidmember 71. having a flat face enwhereby apositiveclampingof ytube clamp member 71, uponthe shaft'olis -se cured,every angular motion of theicasinga;` after the same is mounted in -itsfinal position' ,180 beingelfectively prevented. l j Y The ,upper Vendof the steering shaft car-. ries the inner ringl 1f ofla thrust ballbearing, A the'outerfring s of which has a spherical v85 shape andconstitutes the Vball mcmberof a balland-socket jointhaving for itspurpose of said pillarj v-lhe socket member o'r'casing of said, jointcomprises :two ,sheet .metal y stampings; t, uwliichare dished: so as toprov Fig. 2 is a section on line 'X X of Fig. 1

p n outerspherical surface of the rings.. The Fig. 3 is a section online Y Y of Fig, l

Vide spherical partsrcooperating with the -two stampings @5, ul arefastenedtogether by means ofstay-bolts so that they enclose thespecification of Lettersratent. Patented Apr. l25, 1:9252. yApplicationfiled March` 1o, 1920. .serial No. 3643er.. y

engaging 'gaging the lips formedon tube g by' saidcut out part., Thelower member i of :said clamp vis fastened to the upper memberh by'meanslofloolts,

g 'upon' the bearing/v and of the upper :to permit, the steering vpillarAmto Yswing Y freely whilel preventing` longitudinal motion ball memberof thelfbalLand-socket"joint without play though without exertingthereupon a degree of pressure such4 as would prevent said member frombeing moved angularly. The stamping is rigidly secured to the casing mby means of a conical tube f surrounding the shaft m and carrying Vatone end a iange memberbolted tothe casing a, said tube being tted at theother end intoythe stamping t.

The thrust bearing is held respect to the pillar mby a hub member o Aioxs Y 5 infposition with fitted on the luted upper end of the pillar/mand rotatable therewith, said hub member being pressed upon the innerVring r by a nut v1 engagingthe screw-threaded, end of the shaft yThehub member v overlaps a and the lid thereof v2') twoperforated lugs orbosses m serving as llines o-f the shafts by on Sthe stamping u. Y

the circular edge of the upper stamping u, thus preventing the entranceof dirtand dust. Y

The hubmember carries `the arms of the operating hand wheel for thesteering mechanism. Y f

'The auxiliary shafts V1,2 (Figs. l and 2) used for operating thecarburetor, the igniting device, etc., may be arranged in a very simplemanner as follows: The casing low-er guides for these shafts l, 2, theupper guiding member being formed by an eX- tension on stamping ifprovided with holes in which are inserted `guiding rings 252. j

The shafts l, 2 are provided at theirwupper end with arms or bent partsserving as operating handles and which may be held in any desiredposition around the centre means of notches on said Vhandles engagingatoothed quadrant ln the embodiment shown -in Figs. 6 and 7, the nut Dcarries two side trunnions F upon which are mounted two bifu'rcatedmembers G used in the place of the swinging lever c of Figs. 1 to 5. Thefree ends of the members G are sufficiently spaced apart to allow theinsertion of the trunnions F which are then held in position by Ameansof bushings J screwed Vupon said trimnions F. Y v-The steering shaftA towhich the handwheel V is rigidly secured carries a double thrust bearingB. rlhe inner races of said bearing are rigidly secured to the pillarA Iandthe outer races constitute the ball member of a ball-and-socket jointallowing the steering pillar to effect a slight angular motion whenoperating'the steering gear. The socket member of said joint is made oftwo parts screwed together, the lower one Vbeing provided'at the upperend of a tube surrounding the pillar A, said tube being rigidly securedto the casing The casing M is secured to the chassis AK and the deviceis besides supported by the dash-board by any suitable means not, shown.1

are provided with A In both embodiments., the thrust bearing tensionstresses due to the operation ofthe steering device. L

Having now described my invention, what l claim as new andv desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A steering mechanism comprising in combination a casing embodying asleeve part, means for clamping said sleeve part, to the chassis vof anautomobile, a pivoted lever journalled and enclosedin `is :adapted tosustain the compression and for automobiles,

said casing and adapted to be connected to' the wheel operating member,a nut pivotally connected to saidv lever,- a screw engaging in said nut,a steeringy shaft upon'which said screw is secured, a spherical thrustball-bearing for said shaft and a tubular outer member connectingrigidly said spherical ball bearing to the said casing.

2. A steeringmechanism for automobiles comprising in combination a fixedbearing,

thrust in said bearing and adapted to be connected to the wheeloperating member, a nut provided with two la-teral trunnions journalledin said slotted arms, the slots in the said arms having at their freeends a width greater than the diameter of saidl trunnions, nuts on thetrunnions 'having' Va diameter greater than the width of said slots attheir free ends, a screw engagingV inl said, nut, a Vsteering shaft uponwhich said Vscrew is secured and means for rotatably supporting thesteering shaft and preventing any lon.- gitudinal movement thereof, saidmean-s permitting the steering shaft to swing in a plane at right anglesrwith the axis of the said MARIUS JEAN'BAP'E'HSTE BARBROU.

a crank having two slotted arms journalled'

